Storage rack with sliding bin



April 12, 1960 R. A. SHAW STORAGE RACK WITH SLIDING BIN Filed Aug. 1, 1958 A TTOR EY 8.

United States Patent STORAGE RACK WITH SLIDING BIN Richard A. Shaw, Scituate, R.I., assignor to Stackbin Corporation, a corporation of Rhode Island Application August 1, 1958, Serial No. 752,557

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-79) This invention relates to a storage rack and storage bin, particularly to a stop for limiting the distance of withdrawal of the bin from the rack.

The invention is particularly adapted for use with the rack unit disclosed in Patent No. 2,046,095. The rack unit comprises an open framework of skeleton formation having open generally rectangular end frames which are connected to each other by angular slideways on which a storage bin is slidably received. The rack unit is adapted to be superimposed one upon the other in stacked relation, and with a plurality of stacks positioned side by side. It is desirable to provide some stop means for limiting the distance of withdrawal of the bins from the racks and to also provide for readily removing the effective position of the stop to allow the removal of the bins from the rack units.

An object of the invention is to provide a storage rack of the above general construction having stop means constructed so as to attain the desired advantages above mentioned.

A more specific object is to provide a storage rack of the above general construction in which a stop means will be provided and arranged in a way to be self-positioned in effective stop relation and which may be readily swung out of the effective stop relation thereof.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view looking at the back of a storage rack and bin provided with a stop embodying the invention for limiting the distance of withdrawal of the bin from the rack;

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing the bin as being withdrawn from the rack and engaged against the stop; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a fragmentary portion of the rack and bin with the stop means shown engaged against the rear wall of the bin.

In carrying out the invention I provide a sheet metal plate and hinge the same at some convenient location on the rack frame so as to have free swinging action to- Wards and from the bin received in said rack. The plate is made of a width for the side marginal edge portion thereof to ride along the upper edges of the bin and is slitted inwardly of said marginal edge portions and inwardly of'the upper edges of the bin. The slitted portion is bent below the plane of said marginal edge portion and forms an abutment to engage the rear wall of the bin. This limits the distance of withdrawal of the bin from the rack. When it is desired to remove the bin, the plate is manually swung upwardly about its hinge so as to clear the bent portion out of line with the rear wall of the bin to allow the said removal thereof.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of the invention, designates a storage rack of the general construction shown in Patent No. 2,046,095. The rack comprises a framework of skeleton formation having a front and rear frame 11 and 12 respectively.

These are generally rectangular and are connected at their lower end portion by angular slideways 13, 14 which are similar to each other and on which is slidably received a storage bin 15. The bin may take any appropriate shape consistent with the rack structure and is shown as by Way of example as an open box having end walls 16, 17 both of which are provided with handles 18 for lifting of the bin. The bin is of a width only slightly less than the distance of the spacing between the sides of the end frames 11 and 12. The depth of the bin is such as to provide for a sufiicient clearance or space in which to locate the stop means forming the subject matter of the present invention.

The stop means designated generally 21 is a plate of a width slightly greater than the width of the bin 15. The plate is hingedly secured as at 22 to the rear edge of they cross bar 23 of the frame 11 which is the front frame of the rack. The lower edge of the plate is severed as at 24 at locations inwardly of the sides 15 of the bin and between these severings it is bent downwardly so as to form a lip 25 positioned at a level substantially lower than the marginal edge portions 26 of the plate. The plate 21 is free to swing and when the bin is removed from the rack, the plate will hang vertically from the hinges 22. Upon inserting bin 15 on the slideways, the rear wall 16 will engage the plate and swing the same upwardly to pass therebeneath, upon the lip 25 being free of the said wall 16, the plate will swing downwardly and the marginal edge portions 26 will ride along the upper side edges of the bin. Upon pulling the bin 15 outward from the rack, the wall 16 will engage lip 25 and be stopped thereby from further withdrawal. In order to remove the bin completely out of the path of the rear wall 16, when the bin has been pulled out wardly sufiiciently to clear the wall 16 of lip 25, the plate may be released so as to swing downwardly by gravity action to be in position to be again moved in stop effective relation upon the insertion of a bin on the rack as previously described.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have disclosed a stop means 20 effective for the purpose contemplated and which is simple in construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

I claim:

1. A storage rack for a storage bin comprising a framework of skeleton formation and having a slideway for slidably receiving said bin, a plate hinged to said frame and extending to engage the upper side edges of said bin when said bin is slidably moved in and out of said frame, said plate being slit at spaced locations inwardly of said side edges and a lip bent downwardly from said plate between said slits to provide a stop to be engaged by the inner side of the rear wall of said bin to limit the distance of outward movement of said bin.

2. A storage rack as set forth in claim 1 wherein sald plate is sheet metal and free to be moved by gravity action to a vertical position when free of said bin.

3. A storage rack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plate is hinged to said framework at a location for said lip to be engaged by said inner side of the rear wall at a level substantially much lower than the location of the said hinges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

